Folding box.



M. HUTGHINSON.

FOLDING BOX.

.urmoulon FILED In 16, 1900.

Q 913,894. Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

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MALCOLM HUTGHINSON, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN.

FOLDING- BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 2, 1909.

Application filed May 16, 1908. Serial No. 433,297.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MALooLM I-IUTOHIN- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Folding Box, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to folding boxes and the like and is especially designed for shipping shoes, millinery, cereals and other packages of articles of merchandise.

The object of the invention is to provide a box formed mainly of fiberboards so assembled as to fold into a compact bundle when the box is not in use, there being means fastened to the box at the joints or hinges to reinforce the same and prevent separation of the parts.

Another object is to provide a box the panels of which are formed with reinforcing strips, there being additional reinforcing devices removably connected to the foldable end anels of the box for reinforcing said pane s at the bends therein.

Another object is to provide heads for the box which are of novel form and designed to be retained in place in a simple and efficient manner.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings is shown the preferred form of the invention.

In said drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention, portions thereof being broken away. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of the box, the same being shown partly folded. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the bottom panel of the box. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of a modified form of box partly folded.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference, 1 designates an elongated strip of fiberboard or other suitable material folded transversely at desired intervals and having its ends secured together as indicated at 2 by means of an adhesive or staples or both. WVhen the ends are thus fastened the strip presents an angular outline and those portions thereof between the folds constitute the front, rear and end panels of the box. The end panels have been indicated at 13 and each is scored in its inner face from top to bottom thereof and at its center as shown at 4, each of said end panels being reinforced where scored by a flexible strip 5 of paper, fabric, or other material glued or otherwise secured across the scores. In order to facilitate the bending of the strip 1 at the corners of the box the outer face of said strip is preferably scored at each of these corners as shown at 6 and reinforcing strips 7 of paper or fabric are preferably secured over the scores by means of an adhesive or in any other preferred manner. Each end panel has end stri s 8 fastened thereto and extending above tie u per edge of the end panels and arranged ong the upper and lower edges of said panels and extending toward each other from the strips 8 are reinforcing strips 9 the adjoining or inner ends of which are spaced apart and beveled so as to receive between them a non-flexible removable reinforcing strip 10, the longitudinal edges of which are beveled. Each strip, when positioned upon the end panel, extends across the central score or fold of the panel as indicated in Fig. 1.

The front and rear panels of the box are each provided with a rectangular frame 11 of wood or other suitable material the end strips 12 thereof extending above the upper edges of the panels as shown at 13, these upwardly projecting portions and the corresponding projecting portions 1 1 of the strips 8, constituting means for engaging the top panel of the box, as hereinafter set forth.

Secured to the inner faces of opposed anels and at the lower edges thereof are e eats 15, the ends of which are beveled as shown at 16 and terminating at points removed from the corner folds of the box. These cleats are designed to support the bottom panel of the box which panel consists of a frame 17 formed of wood or other suitable material and having cross strips 18 therein at points between its ends. lhis frame is designed to rest upon the cleats 15 and has a cross cleat 19 secured to its bottom face and designed to rest between the cleats 15 with its ends in contact therewith. A cover 20 of fiberboard or other suitable material is secured upon this frame.

The top panel of the box consists of a frame 21 of Wood or other suitable material preferably provided with a central cross strip 22 and the'corners of this frame are cut away as shown at 23 so as to receive the projections 13 and 14 heretofore referred to. The ends of the frame are also recessed at the centers thereof as shown at 24 to receive the upper ends of the reinforcing strips 10. This frame is secured upon a sheet 25 of fiberboard or other suitable material.

The bottom panel 20 can be secured upon the cleats 15 in any suitable manner as by driving a nail through each cleat-and into the ends of the cleat 19 and the top panel can be secured in any preferred manner as by providing metal strips or seals therefor or utilizing any other efficient fastening means. It is also designed to secure the strips 10 in place by driving a small nail through each of them and into either the top or the bottom panel.

When it is desired to fold the box which has been described the top panel is unfastened and lifted from the projections 13 and 14 and the strips 10 are slid out of engagement with the beveled ends of the strips 9. The nails or other fastening devices engaging the bottom panel are then withdrawn and said bottom panel pushed upwardly from the box. The end' panels 3 can then be folded along the scores 4 as shown in 2 whereupon the front and rear panels will move toward each other and bind upon the folded end panels. The top and bottom panels can then be placed. in position upon the folded body and the entire box will thus occupy a comparatively small space.

Although the box is preferably formed by utilizing foldable end panels it is to be understood that if preferred the folds can be produced simply at the corners, of the box as shown at 26 in Fig. 4. The body strip is designed to be reinforced at these bends in the same manner as in the construction heretofore described. When, however, the box body is folded the front and rear panels will fold onto the end panels as shown in Fig. 4 and the resultant package will thus be longer than where a construction such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is employed.

Although the box has been described as formed mainly of fiberboard it is to be understood that the strip 1 can be made of any other suitable light material capable of being bent or folded in the manner described, or it can be made of separate pieces flexibly connected at the corners of the box.

What is claimed is:

1. A foldable receptacle comprising integral front, rear and end panels, each end panel being foldable along a central longitudinal line into position between the front and rear panels, reinforcing frames secured to the respective panels, and removable nonflexible reinforcing devices engaging the frames of the end panels and extending throughout the length of and across the folds in the end panels.

2. A foldable receptacle comprising an elongated strip having its ends secured together, said strip being folded transversely to constitute front, rear and end panels, each end panel being foldable along a central longitudinal line and between the front and rear panels, a reinforcing frame upon each panel, the frames of the end panels having spaced alining members, and reinforcing devices insertible between the adjoining ends of said spaced alining members, and extending throughout the length of the folds in said end panels and holding said panels against bending, said reinforcing devices being nonflexible.

3. A foldable box comprising integral front, rear, and end panels, supporting cleats upon opposed panels, and a bottom panel supported by said cleats and comprising a frame, a cover thereon, and a transverse cleat secured to and extending below the frame and interposed between and against the inner faces of the cleats on opposed panels.

4. A receptacle comprising front rear and end panels foldable together, each end panel having a longitudinal central fold, reinforcing frames upon the respective panels, the frames of the end panels consisting of spaced portions disposed at opposite sides of the central folds, and means slidably mounted between said spaced portions and engaging the same for reinforcing the end panels at the central folds, said means extending longitudinally of the folds. I

5. A receptacle comprising front rear and end panels foldable together, each end panel having a longitudinal central fold, reinforcing frames upon the respective panels, the frames of the end panels consisting of spaced portions disposed at opposite sides of the central folds, and means slidably mounted between said spaced portions and engaging the same for reinforcing the end panels at the central folds, said means extending longitudinally of the folds a top panel having recesses for the reception of the upper ends of said reinforcing means, said top panel being disposed to receive fastening means extending through said ends of the reinforcing means.

6. A foldable receptacle comprising front, rear and end panels, each end panel being foldable upon itself along central longitudinal lines and between the front and rear panels, a reinforcing frame upon each end panel, the frames of the end panels having spaced alining members, the adjoining ends of said In testimony that I claim the foregoing as members being beveled to constitute dovemy own, I have hereto aflixed my signature tailed slots, and reinforcing devices slidable in the presence of two witnesses.

into said slots and in engagement with said I MALCOLM HUTCHINSON. 5 beveled ends, said devices extending across v l/Vitnesses:

and longitudinally of the bends in the end I PETER O. HOLTHE,

panels. I FRED M. BREUNINGER. 

